The Specials - "Ghost Town" (forgotten song)

"Ghost Town" is a 1981 non-LP single from The Specials, the last release from their original lineup. Unlike "Rat Race" which I vividly recall from early MTV, I have only a vague memory of seeing this video on MTV. Perhaps because this song sounds so different from others in their oeuvre it is easy to forget. It features only a few ska elements, instead matching the lyrical material with a vast, desolate sound.

I don't recall it getting radio airplay in the US at the time, but it was #1 in the UK and has been featured in several movies, including "Natural Born Killers" and "Shaun of the Dead". It was also sampled in the Gorillaz song "Slow Country" from their 2001 self-titled LP. You can't help but wish the original line up of The Specials had managed to stay together for more than two LPs and a few singles.

"Ghost Town" - official video, Top of the Pops version.

B-side bonus links: "Why" - YouTube; "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" - YouTube;